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The artist's photocopier

This article was taken from the January issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content bysubscribing online

Want to bring a hand-printed feel to your graphics? Master the Risograph

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Risographs can only print A3 or smaller, and are expensive for large print runs. But Digital printing is cheap and simple, but can easily put your work on a par with takeaway menus when it comes to quality. So consider the Risograph -- a cross between a photocopier and a silk-screen printer that is becoming increasingly popular for its punchy colours, tactile finish and economical pricing.

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To use it, designs are first broken up into separate files corresponding to each component colour. The printer is loaded with a colour drum, and the first file printed off. The print dries and the drum is replaced with a new colour. The sheet is then fed back through. This process is repeated until the colour layers are complete. It's labour-intensive, and the soya-based ink easily smears after multiple layering. But if you get it right, the screen-print effect is stunning. "The colours are so flat and rich, they're really beautiful," says Hugh Frost of small publishing house Landfill Editions.

Other UK presses using Risographs (or equivalents made by Ricoh, Duplo and others) include Duke, Black Box and Ditto Press, whose owner Ben Freeman laughs grimly when asked about the limitations of the process. "It's a difficult machine to work with. People buy one on eBay and realise after a month that it's really annoying." Frost agrees: "I love and hate it in equal measure. There are so many headaches: paper jams, mess..." it seems it's all worth it. "Japanese wood-block prints used to get sold for the price of a bowl of rice," notes Frost. "One of my goals is affordability and accessibilty, and these machines allow for that."